Committee lays over 'Keep It Clean' bill to seek funding details for litter-on-ice program

Chair Heintzeman opened discussion of House File 1120, a follow-up to prior legislation that enforces litter rules on frozen lakes, and moved to lay the bill over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill.

Representative Andrew Myers, the bill author, told the committee the measure would provide grant funding to local governments and organizations to improve management and garbage-removal programs on frozen public waters. “This is a follow-up bill to that that is going to request grant funding for local units of government organizations to help improve their management, and programs to remove, garbage,” Representative Myers said.

Robin Dwight, president of the Upper Red Lake Area Association and a member of the Keep It Clean Coalition, testified in support and described volunteer efforts and local pilot programs to separate and remove human waste and garbage around winter fishing sites. “Ice is water and we must work together to keep it clean,” Dwight said. She told the committee the coalition has about 60 members representing some 10,000 lakes and is collecting survey data on infrastructure needs in northern Minnesota.

Tom Johnson, Government Relations Director for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), told the committee the agency supports the work and has seen an impact from the coalition’s efforts, while noting “the exact logistics of this are challenging to figure out.” Bob Myers, assistant commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, said he supports the bill and described observing changed behavior among anglers during recent fishing on Leech Lake.

Members asked primarily about evidence of effectiveness and funding levels. Representative Purcell asked for quantification of results; Dwight said a recent survey was underway and that local programs include grant-funded dumpsters and separation of human waste at one Upper Red Lake site. Representative Lehi Fisher asked about likely dollar needs; Representative Myers said the bill before the committee requests general fund dollars and noted a companion proposal would create a $10 wheelhouse fee, but he did not give a definitive appropriation. “If it’s an ideal year…maybe it’s a million or 2,” Myers said, adding that he wanted to work with the committee on funding details.

Chair Heintzeman renewed his motion that House File 1120 be laid over for possible inclusion in a future bill; the committee laid the bill over by voice vote.

The proposal would create a statewide Keep It Clean program and provide grants and education to extend winter-season management of public waters; the bill’s fiscal specifics were left to subsequent negotiation and committee work.